(1) Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to an adjustable nozzle that is attached to the end of a garden hose and is also attached to a separate product container, for example, a bottle containing a garden fertilizer or a bottle containing a cleaning soap concentrate. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an adjustable nozzle that receives a flow of water from a garden hose and dispenses a product from a container attached to the nozzle, where the nozzle has a simplified construction with a reduced number of component parts and where the operation of the nozzle is simplified yet enables a user to selectively discharge a flow of water or a mixture of water and product from the nozzle, control the ratio of water to product when the nozzle is employed in dispensing the mixture of water and product, and to direct the discharge as a stream or disburse the discharge in an upwardly or downwardly directed fanned spray pattern.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A typical hose end sprayer has two connections, one of which is connected to the end of a garden hose that serves as a supply of water under pressure to the sprayer and the second of which is connected to a separate product container to be selectively dispensed from the sprayer. Sprayers of this type are often used in the home garden or yard for dispensing chemicals such as weed killer or fertilizer mixed with the flow of water passing through the sprayer. In addition, sprayers of this type are used with a soap product contained in the separate container where the flow of water mixes with the soap product as it passes through the sprayer. Sprays of this type are often used to wash automobiles, housing siding and windows of a home. In the typical operation of these sprayers, the flow of water through the sprayer interior creates a venturi effect in the sprayer that draws the product contained in the product container into the flow of water where it is mixed with the water before being discharged from the sprayer.
Because the sprayers of the type described above are sold as household products that are used to spread chemicals in the home garden or yard or to wash the siding, windows or automobile of the homeowner, it is very desirable that the sprayers be constructed inexpensively and be easy to operate. In addition, it is also desirable that the sprayers provide features that enhance their usefulness without detracting from the ease of operating the sprayers. In many prior art hose end sprayers that have several useful features, for example, a control valve that has the options of stopping the flow of water through the sprayer nozzle, or opening the flow of water through the sprayer nozzle without mixing with the contents of the separate product container, or opening the flow of water through the sprayer nozzle while mixing with the contents of the separate product container, the control valve that is simple to operate requires additional component parts for the sprayer nozzle, or the control valve that has a reduced number of component parts is difficult to operate. Increasing the component parts of the sprayer nozzle increases its cost, making it unattractive to consumers. In addition, sprayer nozzles that are difficult to operate, although reduced in cost, are still not attractive to consumers.
What is needed to overcome the disadvantages of prior art hose end sprayer nozzles is a simplified construction of a nozzle with a reduced number of component parts that is also simple to operate and provides a number of desirable features. Such a sprayer nozzle would be attractive to consumers for both having a reduced cost due to its reduced number of component parts as well as its ease of operation.
The hose end sprayer nozzle of the present invention overcomes the several disadvantages associated with prior art sprayer nozzles by providing a nozzle with simplified construction and a reduced number of component parts that is easy to operate and yet provides many options that are desirable to consumers.
The sprayer nozzle of the invention is assembled from a total of twelve component parts. In the preferred embodiment, the component parts are molded of various types of plastics. The component parts of the sprayer nozzle include a two-piece housing, a three-piece control valve assembly contained in the housing, a two-piece manual actuator mounted on the housing, a two-piece hose connector mounted on the housing, a dip tube, a product port control valve and a spray deflector.
The two-piece housing includes a housing front piece that is snap-fit to a housing back piece. Together, the two pieces define a housing having an interior bore that passes between an inlet end of the housing and an outlet end of the housing. The interior bore defines a fluid flow path through the housing between the inlet and outlet ends.
An internally screw threaded hose connector containing a sealing washer or gasket is mounted to the housing inlet end for rotation of the connector relative to the housing. The interior threading of the hose connector mates with the typical exterior threading of a home garden hose. The housing also has a second connector that is connectable to a separate product container. In the preferred embodiment, the second connector is a bayonet type connector that can be releasably attached to a separate bottle of product having a complementary bayonet connector. A product port in the separate container connector and the dip tube extending from the product port communicate the separate container with the fluid flow path in the housing interior bore.
The control valve assembly is mounted in the fluid flow path in the housing interior bore. The control valve assembly includes a control valve that has an interior bore that functions as a portion of the fluid flow path through the nozzle. The control valve is mounted in the housing for reciprocating movement of the control valve along the flow path. A back flow check valve is mounted in the interior bore of the control valve and is operable to permit liquid flow along the flow path from the inlet end of the nozzle housing to the outlet end, but to prevent reverse flow through the flow path from the housing outlet end to the housing inlet end.
The two-piece manual actuator is mounted on the exterior of the nozzle housing and is operatively connected with the control valve. The manual actuator causes the control valve to reciprocate forwardly and rearwardly along the flow path in the housing interior bore in response to manual rotation of the actuator in opposite directions about the housing exterior. Manual rotation of the actuator in opposite directions moves the control valve through the housing interior bore between three positions of the control valve relative to the housing and the flow path. In the first position of the control valve relative to the housing interior, the control valve blocks the flow of liquid through the housing flow path. In the second position of the control valve relative to the housing it opens or unblocks the flow path through the housing but blocks the product port of the housing that communicates with the separate container of product connected to the housing. In the third position of the control valve relative to the housing, the valve unblocks both the fluid flow path through the housing and the product port, communicating the product container attached to the housing with the fluid flow path. This third position of the control valve and the flow of liquid through the housing interior creates a venturi in the flow path that draws product from the connected product container into the flow of liquid through the housing.
The product port valve is mounted to the housing for movement of the valve between first and second positions. The valve includes a center bore that forms a portion of the fluid flow path through the housing. The product port valve also has a pair of valve openings with a first of the valve openings having a smaller opening area than the second of the valve openings. In the first position of the product port valve, the first, smaller valve opening is aligned with the product port. In the second position of the product port valve, the second, larger valve opening is aligned with the product port. By selectively choosing which valve opening of the product port valve is aligned with the product port, the concentration of the product contained in the separate container that is mixed with the flow of water channeled through the housing interior bore can be changed.
A discharge deflector is mounted to the valve housing at the housing outlet end. The deflector is mounted to the housing for pivoting movement between three positions of the deflector relative to the housing. In the first position the deflector extends straight from the housing and a stream of water discharged from the housing will pass through the deflector without being deflected. In the second position the deflector is pivoted downwardly relative to the housing and the stream of water discharged from the housing impacts against the deflector and is deflected downwardly in a fanned out spray pattern. In the third position the deflector is pivoted upwardly relative to the housing and the stream of water discharged from the housing impacts with the deflector and is directed upwardly in a fanned out spray pattern.
The twelve component parts of the sprayer nozzle of the invention described above provide the nozzle with a simplified, reduced cost construction. In addition, they provide the nozzle with several desirable features, i.e., the ability to stop liquid flow through the nozzle, open liquid flow through the nozzle without mixing with the separate product, and open liquid flow through the nozzle while mixing with the separate liquid product. In addition, the concentration of the separate product mixed with the liquid passing through the nozzle can be adjusted. Still further, the discharge from the nozzle can be directed as a stream from the nozzle or can be deflected in a fan pattern downwardly and upwardly. By providing valves that rotate about the center axis of the nozzle housing, the different options available to alter the discharge of liquid from the housing are easily controlled.